DA2 is a disaster for all who loved DA:O , NWN (one of the bests ever) or other traditional RPGÂ´s. Its a casual arcade game without any of the old BioWare strengths. If this is the new BioWare Style, the times were i bought BW Games blind on release Day, are over.The most Magazine Reviews are bad Jokes.Bioware...remember your roots!!

I loved DA:O and mass effect 1 and 2 but Dragon age 2 is clearly a rushed product. Shallow characters, shallow ,story, no real choices. No sense of exploration like DA:o becouse of Re-used places over and over again. This game would have needed 1 more year of development to feel complete.

This is not a BIOWARE game. Its a EA dumbed down for kiddies console port. GFX are a minor upgrade from DA:0. Runs like crap (2x6970's). I cant recommend buying this game. You will find after a few hours no desire or incentive to play the game.

First of all, amazing that the consumers en masse see this game for the filth it is, while the professionals give it 9 and 10's. Must be losing touch with the people they write reviews for.

I was waiting with the utmost expectations for this game. I mean just polish dragon age give it new maps improve graphics and you have a hell of a game.
Instead they decided to do things all overFirst of all, amazing that the consumers en masse see this game for the filth it is, while the professionals give it 9 and 10's. Must be losing touch with the people they write reviews for.

I was waiting with the utmost expectations for this game. I mean just polish dragon age give it new maps improve graphics and you have a hell of a game.

Instead they decided to do things all over and focus not on the customers who made dragon age a sales succes but to potential new customers. I.e. action console players. In all , voice acting is bad, Reuse of maps is a disgrace, ( the same cave over and over) gameplay boring. I have decided never to buy games again without downloading and testing them first. 50 euro's for this piece of garbage is ridiculous,…Expand

The entire main storyline of DA2 could have been told in a expansion or a DLC and does not compare at all to the epic story of DA:O, the rest of the questing content is irrelevant fillers. Combat is simplified beyond belief and requires no strategy at all. Without the high res pack my graphics were locked at medium and only added to the disappointment.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Story was my greatest disappointment. I understood that Bioware wanted to make a smaller story this time, but rpg is about making choices which have effect. I did not feel like I had the ability to choose in this story. Certain things happened no matter who I sided with, and the ending and main story remained the same. No replay value here. Different dialogue choices were just for flavor, sarcastic Hawke will have the same story as heroic Hawke.

Lack of build-up with companions and family. I would have expected that time span of ten years would have added more depth to relationships instead of losing it. There was very little companion interaction.The family focus was a joke.

Recycled areas. All caves look the same, all ruins look the same etc. Only some doors won't open, depending on location. Irritating.…Expand

Dragon Age 2 recycles the same environments over and over to artificially inflate the game's length. You play a static character devoid of personality, an abrupt change from the engaging Shepherd character from Mass Effect fame. I hate comparing a new release to a developer's previous output (preferring to judge exclusively based on the game in question), but this game is a completeDragon Age 2 recycles the same environments over and over to artificially inflate the game's length. You play a static character devoid of personality, an abrupt change from the engaging Shepherd character from Mass Effect fame. I hate comparing a new release to a developer's previous output (preferring to judge exclusively based on the game in question), but this game is a complete insult to any game Bioware has previously done. The company turned from an elite CRPG powerhouse to another corporate whorehouse developer with this title, and it really hurts. I am hoping that Dragon Age 2 is an aberration, and the Old Republic/Mass Effect 3 sustain Bioware's typically high degree of quality.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Dragon Age II is everything DA: O should have been... if BioWare had intended to make Origins a complete and horrible failure. Bethesda really should have known better with titles under their belt such as Mass Effect, in the end their sequals fall short such as prequels to sequels generally do. In retrospect I would actually give this game a 5.5/10 but I'm taking a stand they must have spend 2 days developing this game I'm taking a stand no more bad games!…Expand

an absolute disappointment. from begining to end it is far inferior to DA:O and is a complete failure on bioware's part. I hope that DA3 fixes what this game broke because the world of Thedas is a cool one

All I can say is - I played this for 3 hours - Stopped - and reloaded DA OneThe story might be great if I had continued with it..maybe, but the gameplay mechanic and combat is nerfed beyod recognition.Why? Bioware Why destroy the depth of a great game. You've been nerfing stuff since BG2 - what next? Pong? I fear for Star War the Old Republic - probably turn out with the gameplay depthAll I can say is - I played this for 3 hours - Stopped - and reloaded DA OneThe story might be great if I had continued with it..maybe, but the gameplay mechanic and combat is nerfed beyod recognition.Why? Bioware Why destroy the depth of a great game. You've been nerfing stuff since BG2 - what next? Pong? I fear for Star War the Old Republic - probably turn out with the gameplay depth of a spit puddle.…Expand

DA:II is, in essence, a role-playing game without the role-playing. Bioware has never been a studio which creates particularly interactive environments, but the large, wide-open spaces of nothing in particular seem particularly jarring in this game because there is so little else to occupy the gamer. Dungeons are recycled. Citizens stand around, doing nothing and having no relevance:DA:II is, in essence, a role-playing game without the role-playing. Bioware has never been a studio which creates particularly interactive environments, but the large, wide-open spaces of nothing in particular seem particularly jarring in this game because there is so little else to occupy the gamer. Dungeons are recycled. Citizens stand around, doing nothing and having no relevance: there is no pretence at their having any significance other than being part of the (non-interactive) furniture, rather than offering even the little one-liners which BioWare managed as long ago as Baldur's Gate. Quest-related characters cannot be engaged until the relevant quest has been triggered: if discovered before the appointed time, they simply stand around, looking ominous. The engaging and entertaining party interactions of the previous game have been simplified to the point of worthlessness. The party members are flat, dull and lifeless. The inventory now contains a "junk" slot, into which the vast majority of items go, as if the studio were acknowledging the pointlessness of an inventory-loot system in which the armour of three of four part members cannot be modified. The aesthetic of the game grates: Hawke and co. heft swords of frankly comedic proportions, while the armour in which some characters are kitted out seems to have been designed by people who have heard of armour, but never really seen it up close or fully understood its purpose. While other reviewers have raved about the qualities of the "dialogue wheel," I fail to see what advantages it actually offers over a list of answers. As with Mass Effect, an unwary player may be tricked into selecting an option on the basis of the synopsis on the wheel, then have Hawke say something while, which not entirely unrelated, is hardly what was foreshadowed. This is a gimmic which needs to be quietly abandoned. Even to characterise this as an "action RPG," in an effort to deflect from the fact that the game offers no immersive qualities, would be misleading, because combat is a simplified version of the same old pause, point and click. The game's increased emphasis on individualism, emphasised by the camera angles, makes approaching battles from a tactical, party-orientated perspective less rewarding and less intuitive than in DA:O. There are, of course, flashes of decent writing and some of the voice acting is quite good, but it doesn't hold a candle to its predecessor. All told, this is a game which might engage fans of "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance," or "Diabolo," but gamers seeking the escapism and immersion of a "proper" role-playing game will be sorely, sorely disappointed. Bioware flaunts the positive reviews of a number of respected reviewers on its website. My only question at this stage is: can I have a go at the game they played?…Expand

I've am a huge dragon age fan and bioware games fan however bioware continue a trend of creating games with that think we are ten years old kids. Dragon Age 2 follow that trend, this game is a dispointment the story modiocre at best, the environment feel lifeless, use of the same zone over and over again, the control and camera suck. I wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot poo stick

if any bioware employee reads this, i created a metacritic account to post this.

The transition from ME1 to ME2 is similar to the transition in DA:O and DA2, just magnified in the latter case.
In order to deliver a tighter story, bioware hacks off so much of the game which let ME1 and DAO seem so epic. After playing a human noble in DAO i immediately recreated a dwarf noble in an attemptif any bioware employee reads this, i created a metacritic account to post this.

The transition from ME1 to ME2 is similar to the transition in DA:O and DA2, just magnified in the latter case.

In order to deliver a tighter story, bioware hacks off so much of the game which let ME1 and DAO seem so epic. After playing a human noble in DAO i immediately recreated a dwarf noble in an attempt to see how that story develops.

This scope, is lost in ME2 and DAO. The world feels smaller and more linear. The simple act of exploring a planet in ME1 gave such a feeling of scope, even though it was not essential to the game.

Honestly I will tolerate any graphics level in order to have greater scope. I honestly dont care if this is sub par, the story delivered in DAO i never had the slightest hangup on the graphics.

Clunky gameplay in DA2 with certain abilities trivializing the game (assassin spec on rogue made nearly every boss a joke).

I just want to point out that DAO felt huge and DA2 felt claustrophobic. The re-use of areas without changing the minimap left me frequently running into walls to make sure i had explored the dungeon.

The structure of ME2 and DA2 takes a great deal away from the scope. ME2 was essentially a list of team-building exercises with a finale at the end. DA2 was ME2 in bite size form throughout the acts.

The world in DAO was wonderfully fleshed out, and DA2 constructs a much more character driven story around the mage - templar interaction. This grows terribly tedious. Anders in the party made all flavor chat between players absolute agony as all we heard recycled a thousand times was "omg the templars are jerks"

The NPCS are so one-note that it does not enrich the game at all. The trajectory of the story feels so forced you can anticipate the breakdown from a very early point in the game.

Honestly, graphics be damned, the reason i bought this game out of reflex was that ME1 and DAO were so epic I was hoping for another story of that scale to take part in. ME2 and DA2 share many of the same flaws, and I hope some serious internal debate might be sparked over the necessity (in my opinion) of appropriate scope in rpgs, and the tradeoff of scope and "tightness" of storytelling.

I hope you take these complaints seriously, I really enjoyed ME1 and DAO…Expand

Totally disappointingBioware should be very a shame of this cheap console port whereas, the predecessor (origin) was very good game in many ways; i.e., it was deep, complex, multiple endings and nice story.this sequel is very shallow and unsatisfactory in many ways; i.e., no character development, no real attachment to story, shallow and speedy combat, very poor camera, silly dialogueTotally disappointingBioware should be very a shame of this cheap console port whereas, the predecessor (origin) was very good game in many ways; i.e., it was deep, complex, multiple endings and nice story.this sequel is very shallow and unsatisfactory in many ways; i.e., no character development, no real attachment to story, shallow and speedy combat, very poor camera, silly dialogue option.it is only achievement is brighter and shiner graphics, flashy and speedy combat system which is a shame as i was expecting a great sequel to a great game but these days the greed and rush for release date became primary objective of game publishers which resulted in these kind of games which can satisfy only young ages and new gamers (didn't play great RPG titles like Oblivion, Fallout 3, The Witcher and Dragon Age: Origin)Few hours of play convince me that this game does not deserve the space on my HD and should be uninstalled immediately.If anyone want to play an RPG game should avoid this title and look elsewhere.…Expand

There is no much more to say about this game that hasn't been said. This is a game that was made purely to satisfy investors at EA and in the long run it will even fail at that. It is in essence a piece of trash that disappoints at every level. Avoid like the plague, don't take it even if they pay you.

This game was so horrible compared to Origins that I wanted to slit my wrist. If it wasn't for the fact that they had bundled in ME2 with DA2 I would not have bought it. Loved ME2, DA 2 needs to burn in the fire.

I played this game to completion and i had a mediocre time. Having just bought The Witcher 2, i realised that there was more variety and ingenuity during the first 2 hours of that game than ALL of Dragon Age 2. Why oh why did Bioware recycle SO many of the environments? It's pathetic just how copy-pasted this game is. My only wish now is that Bioware don't mess up Mass Effect 3.

Bioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the Mary Sue world of 'the dragon crap.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialogue, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The fact of theBioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the Mary Sue world of 'the dragon crap.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialogue, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The fact of the setting and characters being a shameless copy of Michael Moorcook's classic Elric of Melnibone series aside, the game itself behaves like a confused child. Does it want to be a brawler with peripheral RPG elements? Or an action RPG with brawler combat? In either situation the designers have failed to deliver on both satisfying combat or a compelling story that ever rises above the juvenile. Look to the masters at CDProject with their latest RPG epic, The Witcher 2, for inspiration in your future games, Bioware. You certainly won't find it making shallow sex simulators based on generic fantasy worlds.…Expand

Dragon Age II is a piece of "garbage" trying to ride on the success of Dragon Age: Origins. Too bad that during the making of the game they forgot all about the fans of the earlier game and chose to appeal to a "larger audience". My advice, don't buy it and encourage Bioware to keep insulting their fans.

A very big letdown after the previous installments! The gaming world feels empty. The rpg elements are dumbed down, and the combat mechanism feels like playing with an arcade game. The story is weak, and the missions feel generic. Art direction is lazy. Japanese rpg like huge sword (I prefer when weapons look realistic). This franchise took a very bad direction.

Two Bioware employees have been caught posting fake 10/10 reviews to try and prop this game up. What more needs to be said? Even the guy who did the music said the game was rushed because EA wanted to cash in on a sequel ASAP.

Disappointed to see how Bioware decided to move away from the pc fans who made the first Dragon Age a success with this "simplified" installment. I must admit, I dont own any HD console, so I sadly had to play this game on my computer. Had I played on a console I'm sure I would probably enjoy it as I believe was intended by Bioware. Sadly this is just not a computer rpg that Dragon AgeDisappointed to see how Bioware decided to move away from the pc fans who made the first Dragon Age a success with this "simplified" installment. I must admit, I dont own any HD console, so I sadly had to play this game on my computer. Had I played on a console I'm sure I would probably enjoy it as I believe was intended by Bioware. Sadly this is just not a computer rpg that Dragon Age Origins was. Its something else entirely.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Terrible game on all platforms. 2000 graphics, pathetic gameplay, naive,childish story. Just go replay Baldur's Gate 2 (similar graphics) or Duke Nukem 3d (better story) instead and avoid this thing. Not much else has to be said. They've sold out and now cater to the lowest common denominator instead of providing high quality RPGs like they used to. Terrible.…Expand

Pcked this up a couple days ago on Steam, and I have to say that I'm horrified. I liked DA1, although I wasn't terribly impressed but I still enjoyed the game and looked forward to improvements in the sequel. I guess I should have come here first before blindly blowing $60 (can't return it either and if I dispute the charge, my entire steam account is forfeit).

How did a company fall soPcked this up a couple days ago on Steam, and I have to say that I'm horrified. I liked DA1, although I wasn't terribly impressed but I still enjoyed the game and looked forward to improvements in the sequel. I guess I should have come here first before blindly blowing $60 (can't return it either and if I dispute the charge, my entire steam account is forfeit).

How did a company fall so far from producing Baldur's Gate 2, MDK 2, Knights of the Old Republic, and Neverwinter Nights to producing this monstrosity? Already, it's been released with some serious bugs that were simply ignored in development. It has over 20 DLCs on its first day (including a "high resolution texture pack") that should have simply been in the game. Bioware developers said it was because they "ran out of time before the release date". If they were too busy to get basic game items and textures in there, I can see why it has so many bugs in the game itself. It's really sad that they didn't have time to put 1.5 GB worth of content (approximately 30% of the total game size) into the game.

The writing is a bunch of over-the-top tripe that was written by high-school freshmen. The combat has gone from RPG style to a generic hack-n-slash. The story has been neutered beyond belief...

All they needed to do was tweak a couple of things from the first one and this one would have been legendary, or at least passable. But it's like they just gave up; this game has no soul because the developers simply didn't care.…Expand

Just terrible, it''s just disgusting how Bioware can alienate their audience and call their game a RPG. They removed so much and added so little just so they can appeal to an audience that doesn't care about the genre. The gameplay requires very little, as the generalization of "button-mashing" would come into effect, the graphics are sub-par, there is no excuse for this since they aren'tJust terrible, it''s just disgusting how Bioware can alienate their audience and call their game a RPG. They removed so much and added so little just so they can appeal to an audience that doesn't care about the genre. The gameplay requires very little, as the generalization of "button-mashing" would come into effect, the graphics are sub-par, there is no excuse for this since they aren't going for any kind of art style. The storyline is just terrible, as well as the dialogue making no sense and having no relation with what you chose on the dialogue wheel. There is very little customization, which is what a RPG is supposed to have. The game sacrifices deep and compelling storyline and gameplay for a bloodfest. It's sad to see that Bioware is going this way, and I hope Mass Effect 3 doesn't suffer the same problems if they haven't already.…Expand

Combat had a big drop. Caves all look the same. Story was generic. More of the same "good response, neutral response, bad response" choices for dialog. It's like you kept all the things I don't like from your games and got rid of the enjoyable parts of DA:O.

Furthermore, I can no longer support a company that has a division within EA that is willing to suspend people's single playerCombat had a big drop. Caves all look the same. Story was generic. More of the same "good response, neutral response, bad response" choices for dialog. It's like you kept all the things I don't like from your games and got rid of the enjoyable parts of DA:O.

Furthermore, I can no longer support a company that has a division within EA that is willing to suspend people's single player gameplay for activity on their forums. In a multi-player setting, it is sometimes appropriate to ban individuals who ruin the game for others. But that is not the case when we are considering single player activity, especially not with forums. http://i.imgur.com/xkhUI.png - Source.

In summary: Poor decisions in game design. Poor design in company policy.…Expand

The game is nothing. But I was infuriated with the problems of conservation and the same type of location. I was expecting more.ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

The combat in DA2 is a huge step back from Dragon Age Origins. The underlying system is the same, but by upping the pace and letting the player control normal attacks directly, combat feels incredibly dumbed down, which becomes rather boring, rather quickly. Successful attacks are met with a slashing sound. The fighting styles between the three classes (warrior, mage, rogue) feel as almost the same, as do different specializations within a class. Difficulty levels are incredibly unstatic, enough to accomodate neither gamers looking for hack `n` slash action, nor for gamers who want full control over their party, and utilizing the pause menu to issue tactical commands for setting up combos.

STORY: 1/10

The tale within a tale narrative structure is kinda interesting at first, but any curiosity you might have quickly dies down, however, as poor storytelling makes you lose any connection to Hawke you may have had at the beginning. There are two issues with the plot devices used in DA2. The first is the timeskip. Between each act of the game, there is a gap in which you do not participate. This makes you feel less engaged at the start of the next act, because whatever new predicament Hawke finds himself in, you were not there to experience it. Moreover, Hawke occasionally meets people that he supposedly met during a timeskip, but you as a player have never met. This really wrenches you out of Hawke's shoes, as you realize that despite controlling Hawke's actions and choices for certain parts of his life, you are ultimately just a spectator.

The second plot device that I have trouble with is something that is common in RPGs. Basically, you have a main objective, but have to do a bunch of other stuff before you can achieve that objective. DA2's side quests are incredibly boring (more on this later), thus making this common RPG plot device much more obvious. After literally spending hours doing side quest after side quest that have no relation to the main plot whatsoever, it's easy to get sidetracked and forget what Hawke's main goal was in the first place.

Finally, conversations in DA2 are a step down from the ones in DAO. The fully written dialogue choices from DAO are done away with. Instead, DA2 uses a dialogue wheel similar to Mass Effect. What this means is that Hawke talks exclusively in one-liners, and that conversations are all short and to the point, presumably so they wouldn`t get in the way of the mind-numbingly boring action. Moreover, all conversation choices are marked with an emotion icon (heart, halo, you get the idea). While potentially useful, what these icons really do is making sure gamers don`t have to think about how to phrase a response. Instead, conversation quickly boils down to choosing the stance you want to take, like in the much better, but also quite rushed, Alpha Protocol. Conversations with random NPCs are gone too. Now, every conversation is with a quest-giver. This makes Kirkwall a horribly lifeless place, as everyone you talk to just wants you to help solve their problems. It also means that no one talks to you about Dragon Age lore in the game. Instead, all lore is obtained through the Codex, and not conversations. This means that people who hate reading on a screen like me aren't able to learn much about the lore of the DA universe. Then again, it wasn`t interesting in the first place, but still.

Conclusion;

Dragon Age II is an incredibly messy game, which smothered any potential it had with bugs, missed opportunities, and general laziness. Kirkwall is a lifeless place, Ã¡ la the settlements in Borderlands, while dungeons are reused and reused and reused untill you can literally traverse them with your eyes closed. This, of course fits with the dumbing down of the other elements of DA2. The developers spoke of trying to capture the audience of the Call of Duty series, which is, in my eyes, a grave mistake; firstly because this`ll leave RPG-fans and more serious gamers in the cold, and secondly because COD-fans rather occupy themselves with things like Bulletstorm and sports games, outside of COD.

DA2 could have redeemed itself with other features, like the score, but fails with that too.

This adds up to around a 1.5, but seeing as things like gameplay are much more important than the score, I have to give this game a 1.0. Bioware dropped the ball big time with this game, and I look forward to Mass Effect 3 with fear, anticipating a failure of a game, much like Dragon Age 2…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
The worst sequel i ever played. Perhaps developers planned this game for dumb heads? 3 variants of answers in dialogs, poor armor and weapons arsenal, stupid, oh sorry, idiotic combat system, absolutely predictable story and a lot of other "great" innovations...Am i sleep or this guys really developed the greatest rpg games in past?Also, about magazines score - Are U F Kidding? 9/10 - for what? O_o2.0/10.0 - enough for this "masterpiece"…Expand

I play Rpg games on pc by 15 years. I have them all starting by Ultima 8 avatar...This game is a pure disaster on each side you try to judge it.Dialogues are bad, Combact is bad, Graphic is bad (I play at max resolution 2500*1600), History is bad, party is bad, Inventory is bad, statistics and talents are bad. Environment is bad. Difficulty is ridicolous (i am playing at most difficultI play Rpg games on pc by 15 years. I have them all starting by Ultima 8 avatar...This game is a pure disaster on each side you try to judge it.Dialogues are bad, Combact is bad, Graphic is bad (I play at max resolution 2500*1600), History is bad, party is bad, Inventory is bad, statistics and talents are bad. Environment is bad. Difficulty is ridicolous (i am playing at most difficult level and believe me it is too easy...) Camera and pause are soo bad that even seems they not exists... It is quite impossible to make tattics with a so bad camera angle.Really a disaster... Even Hack and slash games are better than this... Where is the Bioware of the past that releases true rpg games like Baldur's gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment ???I buy the signature edition and i wont my money back...…Expand

Bottom line, If I didn't play DAO, this game would be ...ok. But if it was not labeled DA2, I would never have bought it. I understand the move to cater to console, I don't agree with it, but I understand it. I feel like i just got kicked in the nads by my grandma after she promised me fresh baked cookies. How disappointing... and painful. I'm a casual gamer, but man, i was really lookingBottom line, If I didn't play DAO, this game would be ...ok. But if it was not labeled DA2, I would never have bought it. I understand the move to cater to console, I don't agree with it, but I understand it. I feel like i just got kicked in the nads by my grandma after she promised me fresh baked cookies. How disappointing... and painful. I'm a casual gamer, but man, i was really looking forward to this one, I don't think Ive ever been so let down with a game release. Why would they alienate their loyal RPG supporters? It just seems foolish at best. I'm not outraged, just annoyed and confused to the core. I feel/felt nothing with this game and that is possibly the worst thing that can happen when playing a "RPG" title.

-Graphics were ok, but lack of effort takes away considerably. Cut and paste! Really? Mods were released for DAO with more original thought(and my hat tips to all of those who work on mods...for free, Dev team was paid, whats their excuse?). And speaking of which, no tool set info...c'mon guys. DAO tool-set was released far after the game, but to leave everyone so in the dark makes me think that there isn't even one being planned, and the elusive attitude about it is just a way get more sales. what happened with auto attack on consoles...."a mistake was made", right. And it only came to attention a day before release, which makes no sense, because the game was already sent off, and we would all have seen this "mistake". Clear, in your face, deception. The good,(i suppose)Lots of gore, fast paced, voice acting is acceptable, interesting characters.The bad, Story in general, cut and paste used frequently, cant even dress companions, no tool-set, dumb dialogue choices, No tactics needed, Buggy, and most importantly the sheer amount of recycled material from other titles. Graphics models=DAO, but with a new format to screw over modders. Menu/dialogue=Ripped right out of ME series. What exactly took two years to develop in this game?

As a standalone game, its a 6. entertaining for about 90 minutes, then repetitive...literally.As a sequel to the GOTY DAO, its a 0. doesn't even deserve to stand in the prequels shadow.…Expand

I was shocked by how bad this game was. I am not a hardcore gamer and don't follow all the industry news, but isn't this the same team that designed Dragon Age: Origins? How is that even possible? That was such a great game that I bought DA2 on Steam without even playing the demo. Shame on me. I'm a pretty simple gamer. I've bought buy every Civilization sequel and every Dragon QuestI was shocked by how bad this game was. I am not a hardcore gamer and don't follow all the industry news, but isn't this the same team that designed Dragon Age: Origins? How is that even possible? That was such a great game that I bought DA2 on Steam without even playing the demo. Shame on me. I'm a pretty simple gamer. I've bought buy every Civilization sequel and every Dragon Quest sequel since I first played those games in the 80's. I like a certain style of game, and I don't often take a chance and try a new game. I did for Origins and was quickly hooked. I bought all the DLC. The story and visuals were simply amazing, and the game was completely immersive. Dragon Age II is much too bland and boring to be immersive. I played five or six hours before deciding I was never going to get that feeling in this game. I know my rating is harsh, but that is my anger at the complete waste of money. They should not have used the Dragon Age name for this game.…Expand

Utterly disappointing. I've been a Bioware fan since the first Baldur's Gate and I can't believe what they did to Dragon Age 2. What were they thinking? Maybe they were blinded by the buzz of how Mass Effect 2 was received and decided to implement a same kind of system to DA2, who knows?

I loved the DA: Origins, it essentially resurrected the classic computer rpg genre for me. I evenUtterly disappointing. I've been a Bioware fan since the first Baldur's Gate and I can't believe what they did to Dragon Age 2. What were they thinking? Maybe they were blinded by the buzz of how Mass Effect 2 was received and decided to implement a same kind of system to DA2, who knows?

I loved the DA: Origins, it essentially resurrected the classic computer rpg genre for me. I even welcomed the few compromises for the console versions in the Origins, because despite those alterations it was still basically the same game we all know and love.

Unfortunately, in Dragon Age 2 they took it all away and created a some kind of deformed monstrosity of a dumbed down hack'n slash action game with adhd-button-mashing-orgy of a combat. No space for tactics or strategies, and the teammates' AI is retarded. Even the abilities/talents system was simplified and aside from few exceptions, worse than in the Origins. To give the game some slack, I won't even go to the graphics thing (which was later remedied a tiny bit by the high-resolution texture pack, at least for PC). The only good thing is the storytelling part (which has always been Bioware's strong suit), and even the story lacks in some parts.

I honestly can not recommend buying this game for any reason, except if you're so into the story or settings that you think you can bear with the game to the end. I could barely finish the demo when I first played it. I'm so sorry Bioware, but this time, you screwed up. What happened?…Expand

Bottom Line: Wait for a serious price drop. My price of admission was $70 because they are selling DLC that should have been in the core came (Exiled Prince) and having almost one hundred percented the game I can tell you it's worth $30 on a good day. Quality is very uneven. Endless waves of magically appearing enemies made of nitroglycerine and jello are just stupid. Story is meh.Bottom Line: Wait for a serious price drop. My price of admission was $70 because they are selling DLC that should have been in the core came (Exiled Prince) and having almost one hundred percented the game I can tell you it's worth $30 on a good day. Quality is very uneven. Endless waves of magically appearing enemies made of nitroglycerine and jello are just stupid. Story is meh. Dialogue has it's moments. My advice: Try Fallout NV, Batman Arkham Asylum or Just Cause 2 until it's $19.99.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
As you can see from the Score i am more then disapointed...
a Few Questions and Answers

Does this Game really deserve 0 rating when you look and play the game?

No it doesnt, but game publishers like EA needs to be reminded that they cant just Ruin or push/rush games without backlash or consequense.

EA takes a product that works and Milks it, it is unacceptable.

But the game...

You start the game and choose your class, you will then be put into a combat sequense where you learn too use the Combat system. Pretty neat... but this cant be switched off and gets rather anoying.

After playing the game for a few hours i had too push Exit to windows never too return.
The amound of short cuts that has been taken in this game is insane, ever group you meet is set up the same way, every Map you discover you will return too again and again.
The items you use you will have to change out for a better set after each act, your companions armor has been removed too save Items in the game.

All item drops are fixed from bosses, theirs no suprises any where in this game.

After reading all the negative user reviews, I assumed people were over-reacting. As a fan of the first game I anticipated a similar engaging, driving storyline with enough RPG elements to make it more than just a by-the-numbers action adventure. Instead after 10 hours of play, I feel no compulsion to play on anymore. It feels like a poor copy of the original, with all the interestingAfter reading all the negative user reviews, I assumed people were over-reacting. As a fan of the first game I anticipated a similar engaging, driving storyline with enough RPG elements to make it more than just a by-the-numbers action adventure. Instead after 10 hours of play, I feel no compulsion to play on anymore. It feels like a poor copy of the original, with all the interesting bits taken out. Granted, if the game were called something else altogether, it may be more enjoyable - but having played the original, this just feels like a big disappointment. The grey warden fighting the forces of darkness was an interesting idea, well implemented, and fun to play through to the end. A generic "champion" raising money to go on treasure hunt is not.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
It was evident that Dragon Age 2 was a rush job; much of the complexities that were in Dragon Age: Origins were stripped from the sequel. There are no skills to invest in such as Coercion, Pick-pocketing, and etc. Much of the class and skills are simplified into shorter trees of advancement. If I wanted to bring Merrill for the majority of my adventuring and needed healing, the problem was that all of the characters had their own skill and specialization trees and Anders the mage was the only one with a Healing skill tree. So yes, bad Merrill, no healing skills for you! The story wouldâ…Expand

Epic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts theEpic fail. So disappointed as Dragon Age was the game that got me interested in Bioware. Bought Mass Effect 1 and 2, also Bioshock as a direct result of DAO. There is enormous re-use of maps that makes the game feel very repetitive (they just seal and open different parts of the same map for many quests).The killer though is the game breaking Isabela friendship bug. This corrupts the character file and makes the game literally completely unplayable on PC after a few hours if you switch Isabela in and out often. No solution by Bioware so unless you are happy to edit your savegame, you are stuck with a PC copy that doesn't work. A game always has known bugs upon release, but the developer can choose if the bugs are major enough to warrant a release delay. Bioware felt that they could still release a game that literally does not work on PC after a few hours. This either shows a complete disregard for their customers or far too little beta testing. This is the first time I pre-purchased a game. It will certainly be the last time I pre-purchase (and possibly pay for at all) a Bioware game.…Expand

What a disapointment no store line, repetative locations, boring quests, hardly any interaction with your companions. Replay ability is about nothing unless you include moving the lever from casual to nightmare mode.

Less than great. I bought it sight unseen because of how fully realized and fun DAO was. Never making that mistake again.

I get the sense DA2 was just too rushed. The combat, the quests, endless map rehashing and even recycled music from DAO just hugely disappointed me. Fairly weak story on top of it. And yes the ham fisted handling of dialog was just sloppy and very unappealing. ForLess than great. I bought it sight unseen because of how fully realized and fun DAO was. Never making that mistake again.

I get the sense DA2 was just too rushed. The combat, the quests, endless map rehashing and even recycled music from DAO just hugely disappointed me. Fairly weak story on top of it. And yes the ham fisted handling of dialog was just sloppy and very unappealing. For example you get +10 rival with Anders when you pass on his homosexual come-on. I get the sense this is an old guy's idea of giving something for everyone and an equally dated concept of PC approaches to sexuality by actually increasing rival points for choosing "Not interested". The flashiness of the combat, the 'edgy' dialog, all of it just adds up to a very dated and cynical delivery of someone's idea of what people are supposed to want instead of the openness and focus on a quality game I got from DAO.

I am trying to be fair and try to factor out my frame of reference with DAO but at best I can still only come up with a slightly below average rating. There are far more in depth reviews here than mine but they're accurate. I rate it below average without my DAO bias, which would otherwise have made it higher. In all truth I played it once and have absolutely no desire to play it again. The one play added up to some 20+ hours of game play vs the 50+ of its predecessor…Expand

I donÂ´t get this BIoware what are you thinking, they had all this beautiful assets and brand new wonderful engine in Origins.. you dish all that out.. To make Dragon age of Duty! is this really, are they going to dumb down all games!? like whats the point if I'm to see a cheap tv lord of the rings clone, I might as well do it for free in my TV.. I dont need another "tour content" rpg.

What a disappointment.Don't buy this game if your expecting anything similar to Dragon Age Origins, or in the same line as KOTOR or Baldur's gate. Instead of improving on the what was good about DA:O, Bioware (now a an EA subsidiary) choose to appeal to the lowest common denominator and dumb down the game to it's very core. The result is a tepid hack'n'slash with some childish dialog inWhat a disappointment.Don't buy this game if your expecting anything similar to Dragon Age Origins, or in the same line as KOTOR or Baldur's gate. Instead of improving on the what was good about DA:O, Bioware (now a an EA subsidiary) choose to appeal to the lowest common denominator and dumb down the game to it's very core. The result is a tepid hack'n'slash with some childish dialog in the mix. I cannot believe the critics rate this game so high. EA must truly be a power to be feared. I rarely regret purchasing a game but here is one example. Do not get this game. You will regret it.…Expand

Bioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the S#!t Mountain world of 'Dragon Age.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarrassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialog, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The game itselfBioware releases another misogynistic jaunt into the S#!t Mountain world of 'Dragon Age.' There is hardly anything of substance to recommend this train wreck to a discerning connoisseur of RPGs. Every element of its design can be described as 'embarrassingly awkward.' Animation, art direction, dialog, writing, combat. It's a list of sad mediocrities as long as your arm. The game itself behaves like a confused child. Does it want to be a console port with mediocre graphics? Or a PC game with bad graphics? In either situation the designers have failed to deliver on both satisfying combat or a compelling story that ever rises above the juvenile. Look to the masters at CD Projekt RED with their latest RPG epic, The Witcher 2, for inspiration in your future games, Bioware.…Expand

One of the worst games ever made. It takes a rather intellectually challenged individual to even put forth the idea that people enjoy running through EXACTLY THE SAME caves and buildings 10+ times for 10 different quests, let alone to make a game based on that principle.

What can I say that others haven't? DA2 is a commercial failure. See what short dev time, and an idiotic Lead Dev who does a 180 to fix things that weren't broken, and break other things. Why if you have such a short time, you go and tr to re-invent the wheel? Why not fix, tweak, and build upon origins instead of doing this silly drivel? I did love the concept of the story, but it wasWhat can I say that others haven't? DA2 is a commercial failure. See what short dev time, and an idiotic Lead Dev who does a 180 to fix things that weren't broken, and break other things. Why if you have such a short time, you go and tr to re-invent the wheel? Why not fix, tweak, and build upon origins instead of doing this silly drivel? I did love the concept of the story, but it was horribly executed, so many plot holes that you could drive an aircraft carrier through. Not to mention all the immersion breaking stuff as well. Don't get me started on BW's attempt at Final Fantasy characters(Fenris is cloud) and flashy lame combat that takes no thought at all.Story: 7 (good idea, bad execution. Drop the frame narrative bioware, you suck at it)Graphics: 5 (overly not an improvement over DA:O. Some better character models, but I prefer the grittiness of DAO over it)Audio: 6 (Even the music was rushed. Inon did an excellent job regardless and upped my score for it.)Combat: 2 (While some balance issues were addressed, the whole balloon body exploding meth induced speed combat, idiotic animations, waves, armored ninjas falling from the sky..)

When I originally played it, I was generous and gave it a 6-7 /10 on the "official" forum. As you spend more time with it, the lower the score keeps going. Way too many faults. The piles of crap in DA2 out weigh all the good thats in it.4 / 10. Must be nice having EA pay off a bunch of professional reviewers, eh?…Expand

Probably the biggest disappointment of the year thus far. Dragon Age Origins was such a well-crafted RPG, so what went wrong with the sequel? In short, the game went casual. Everything that catered to the RPG fans out there has been simplified completely. Sure, I can welcome a simplified conversation system, and I can welcome some easier skill management, but where the line is drawn is atProbably the biggest disappointment of the year thus far. Dragon Age Origins was such a well-crafted RPG, so what went wrong with the sequel? In short, the game went casual. Everything that catered to the RPG fans out there has been simplified completely. Sure, I can welcome a simplified conversation system, and I can welcome some easier skill management, but where the line is drawn is at the combat. What used to be a strategic combat system is now along the lines of Dynasty Warriors, having players spam a single button to do most of the dirty work, occasionally pressing other buttons to trigger skills. On top of that, the visuals seem very dated and more importantly the maps are simplified, in fact the maps of dungeons in the beginning of the game remain the same by quests near the end of the game. Reusing maps, really? I can't see any effort put into this game, and this is very disappointing considering I've loved everything else that Bioware has put out. Unfortunately the copypasta of the same maps and the barbaric combat is just not my thing.…Expand

My question is this: are the journalistic reviewers playing the same game we are? And if so, why is there such a discrepancy?

Now, I'm not gonna lie to you, I started off liking DA:2. Graphics aren't a huge deal to me, and I thought the voice acting was pretty good. Then...then I realized I was running into the same places I had been, doing re-skinned quests for dull reasons, and I justMy question is this: are the journalistic reviewers playing the same game we are? And if so, why is there such a discrepancy?

Now, I'm not gonna lie to you, I started off liking DA:2. Graphics aren't a huge deal to me, and I thought the voice acting was pretty good. Then...then I realized I was running into the same places I had been, doing re-skinned quests for dull reasons, and I just put the game down. It just gets boring. And that's terrible.…Expand

The Good-Bethany Hawke-Some of the music-The new Qunari-Character art and detail-New combat mechanics

The Bad-The new Avatar styled elves, with their strange Grecian noses-The new Skeletor styled Darkspawn-Repetitive environments-The game's time lapse, which breaks immersion when you meet characters that seem to know you, yet whom you've never met before-NPCs can only wear armour prescribed to them by the game-The new dialogue system-Brazen romantic dialogue that is contrived/forced on the player-Weak writing

Okay, maybe my score isn't accurate but I do believe it deserves a 3. An average of 4.3 is too generous for a piece of trash like this. Hopefully my score will contribute to lowering the rating to where it truly belongs.

Boring, dumbed-down, derivative, glitchy. Day one DLC. I'd like to think this isn't the actual sequel but a casual minigame to tease us for the real game. It's likeOkay, maybe my score isn't accurate but I do believe it deserves a 3. An average of 4.3 is too generous for a piece of trash like this. Hopefully my score will contribute to lowering the rating to where it truly belongs.

Boring, dumbed-down, derivative, glitchy. Day one DLC. I'd like to think this isn't the actual sequel but a casual minigame to tease us for the real game. It's like Bioware is experimenting to see if they can make a lot of money without any effort.…Expand

BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us! BioWare do not f*ck with us!

When I first saw DA2 I was blown away. Its combat became a lot better than the first installment, it looked and felt refined. Then I started to know better. It has like 10 re-used area and they did not even bother to alter them after chapter 1. It has nothing to do with a roleplaying game it is much more like a hack and slash. Your decisions count literally nothing. You have basicly oneWhen I first saw DA2 I was blown away. Its combat became a lot better than the first installment, it looked and felt refined. Then I started to know better. It has like 10 re-used area and they did not even bother to alter them after chapter 1. It has nothing to do with a roleplaying game it is much more like a hack and slash. Your decisions count literally nothing. You have basicly one ending and cannot alter the flow of the game in any possible way. It is really what it looks like: Varrick's story, not yours and not even Hawke's. I think the worst part is that the whole mess want's to take itself seriously and ends up with a plothole ridden meaningless tale where the only thing that matters how it looks like. The problem is that after a few hours you actuall saw everything combatwise so the story should keep you interested, but it fails hardly to do so. I had to actually force myself to finish the game. The first two chapter is quite good if you can forgive several smaller plotholes, but the chapter 3 and the ending is the worst garbage I saw in a long time in an "rpg". Also it was marketed as an 18+ game. Please... The only thing that is hardcore in this is that people explode literally if you backstab them. I honestly hope BW leaves EA and fires some of the responsible guys... I love BW please do something to reverse the spiral!!! Alo this was the very last BW game I pre-ordered. I lost my faith even in ME3... :-(…Expand

It's really sad they spoiled the game so much.We were waiting for something like DA:O and got nothing but a raw Mass Effect:Medieval.Thank you,EA guys...I believe it's their fault.Entirely.
Though,battle animation is nice.

The first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does notThe first, and hopefully last, miss-step from Bioware. After about 10 hours play time I couldn't play the game anymore, I have before noticed copy paste dungeons/tiles/textures, but NOTHING to this degree. This game is one big copy paste and, it seems, the developers have been doing ALOT of sitting around, staring into the wall, not knowing what to do. I am sorry but the combat does not make up for it, the "improved" graphics does not make up for it, the added voice acting to the protagonist does not make up for it. Because none of these improvements actually work in any meaningful way. I was hoping for a Dragon Age II, that was worthy of the title coming from the really well made Dragon Age: Origins, but I was seriously let down here. I wish I could get my money back, but alas, I am on the pc, so I can't. I did manage to drag myself through the game and complete it, and forget it. This game is not worth your money or your time, stay well clear.…Expand

A god awful abortion of a game, made by a development team of pompous, arrogant children who can not take criticism in any form. David Gaider and Stanley "End of Line" Woo spent more time trolling their company forums than they did writing or developing.

One step forward, 5 steps back. This game has better interface than the original and fails at eevrything else. The ratings and sales should be a good sign for Bioware to think about with their future games.

Baldur's Gate is Dungeon's and Dragons at it's finest. Memorable story, D&D game play, and the ability to build a character and then transfer that character into the sequel. Dragon Age has none of these virtues. It's a boring click-fest.

When compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the onlyWhen compared broadly to other video games, DA2 is far above average. But when you compare it to other Bioware games, or to Dragon Age: Origins, one of Bioware's best, this game is far below anything else in the lineup.

The combat is rendered meaningless by long cooldowns on essential spells, poor mana-efficiency, and ridiculously high respawn rates, making hack-and-slash builds the only real option (and you can forget about healing). The respawn rates are the breaking point here, because it ruins virtually every other aspect of the gameplay, because why put any effort into killing things if a million more are going to spawn when they die?

The RPG elements are equally meaningless. The decision to automatically move items to the "vendor trash" bin in your inventory only highlights that you really aren't making any decisions, you're just playing a game on rails. Throughout the game it is painfully obvious that some items are intended for you while others are useless. About the only thing you have to recognize is whether or not an item fits your class, and usually this is done for you by making it impossible to equip another class's gear.

The look of the game is pretty, but too cartoonish to be taken seriously, and the texture resolution is appalling. The environments are boring and repetitive (MOST areas in the game were literally recycled assets). The general aesthetic is just ridiculous: a blend of "DARKER AND EDGIER ZOMG" and japanophilic anime-envy.

The worst problem with this game is that, unlike previous BioWare games, the player is provided with no real choice and is instead placed on rails through a storyline that really is not all that compelling. Cutscenes continually interrupt the story, only to force you to watch two people sitting in a room and talking about nothing in particular, while the main story meanders around with no real goal or purpose for your character. The "light/dark" or "paragon/renegade" system or whatever is meaningless to the story as well. Instead, your dialogue choices determine what tone of voice you will use to say EXACTLY THE SAME THING and take EXACTLY THE SAME ACTION. Your choices range from sarcastic to dry to caustic. And that's a bit of a stretch since all your choices are basically the same blend of these three.

Without spoiling anything, the ending is actually a pretty good piece of story-telling, but the problem is, since you have absolutely no control over you character's speech or actions, this ending will either be:

completely satisfactory (yay, FINALLY something interesting happened)

or

UTTERLY TERRIBLE (why did I even bother playing this?)...

depending upon what you were trying to do. They would have been better served to simply discard the dialogue and alignment systems altogether and let the player experience the story in the way BioWare clearly intended.

Overall, the game was generally playable but usually unpleasant throughout, and while the ending was somewhat interesting, it also left complete disappointment at the game's overall shortcomings, and guaranteed that I would never play this game or any other Dragon Age game again. I would write off BioWare entirely after this, but instead I think the ideas they were working with in DA2 were promising, just poorly executed and a bad fit for the Dragon Age franchise. Mass Effect 2 is a good example of similar ideas with better execution in a franchise better suited to those concepts. Here's hoping that they find their way again for ME3 and their Star Wars MMO.…Expand

At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!).At its core the problem with this game is that it was too boring to push on with. I didn't feel like I was doing anything special... maybe it happens towards the end, i'll never know. being concerned with your wallet the whole game isn't very heroic!
Some parts hint at a great story but ultimately the whole game is let down by the actual mechanics of the game, you know, actual gameplay!). I assume to get greater graphical fidelity the user became boxed into what seems to be a series of corridors and rooms. You never get to explore a world, you just seem to be going from point to point.
Combat is dull. Having waves of filler spawn while you fight a boss with a crazy long health bar is not fun. Having your teammates unable to wear most loot items smacks of laziness.…Expand

This game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against withThis game is horrible. It's sexist, moronic, and boring. The writing is terrible at best, the gameplay is countless copy & paste cave after cave with boring combat. Also, I just wanted to share this. It pretty much sums up how I feel about DA II. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9UDRbjm94

Quit padding your reviews Bioware. No one likes you anymore. Just make Baulders Gate against with better graphics. Don't change a single word of dialog or combat.…Expand

Dragon Age II is a slap in the face of CRPG fans. The combat system has been revamped to an action-oriented style. The aerial tactical view from the first game is gone. Targeting specific enemies is often problematic, due to the limited camera view.The graphics are average, and not on par with Mass Effect 2. A dialogue system, similar to the Mass Effect series, is used in Dragon Age II.Dragon Age II is a slap in the face of CRPG fans. The combat system has been revamped to an action-oriented style. The aerial tactical view from the first game is gone. Targeting specific enemies is often problematic, due to the limited camera view.The graphics are average, and not on par with Mass Effect 2. A dialogue system, similar to the Mass Effect series, is used in Dragon Age II. You'll get to choose from a set of paraphrased dialogue options rather than full text lines. These paraphrased dialogue options rarely have the expected result, which turns the dialogue system into a confusing guessing game.Most of the game takes place in Kirkwall. There are only a few outside locations. Several cave maps are identical, despite the relatively small game world.The item system, or more precisely party management, has taken a turn for the worse. You only have full control over the equipment for your main character. You can't change the armor of your party members.

Bioware turned Dragon Age II into an action RPG, and tailored it for consoles. They simplified the dialogue system, added hack-and-slash combat, and removed a fundamental RPG feature - the party members equipment management. Dragon Age II has some good points like storytelling, but that's about it. The bad parts outweigh the good ones. It's sad to see a company, which released a masterpiece like Baldur's Gate II, fall to such a low level.…Expand

I just made a metacritic account for the sole purpose of giving my review(more like ranting/flaming two cents) for this game that I was so excited for......... and I am too depressed to write it. Why would you do this bioware? After so many great games you give me this. I thought that when I beat the game, I was still somewhere in the middle of the plots/storyline...nope. The credits appearing literally felt like a smack in the face. I'm just so utterly dissapointed right now that I don't even know what to type. Way to dumb down absolutely everything about the original game that I loved so much. I have never, ever, beaten a game and felt confused/depressed thereafter until I played this. I am absolutely refusing to buying a single DLC for this game as I am not giving any money to the people that just robbed me of sixty bucks.. besides the fact that this is going to be the very first bioware game I have ever traded back in as of tomorrow morning. Thanks for wasting my time setting yourselves up for another sixty dollar expansion.. With Love, Already Dreaming Of Uncharted 3…Expand

The game simply awful. When compared to the first part of the second and next to it is not necessary, the first part, I took just 8 and a second difficulty was the first time. The game is almost nothing more than me is not caught, no atmosphere, the action takes place in a city that for all time never changed, and several completely identical areas, so the dialogues in general was killed,The game simply awful. When compared to the first part of the second and next to it is not necessary, the first part, I took just 8 and a second difficulty was the first time. The game is almost nothing more than me is not caught, no atmosphere, the action takes place in a city that for all time never changed, and several completely identical areas, so the dialogues in general was killed, two characters copy the characters from ME2, terrible job, no goals in the first part had a goal to collect an army against the plague, but now everything is happening as a matter of old friends, Anders, Alistair, Zevran them that all these years of booze from morning to night? End so do what you cut. I think one that is very similar to DA2 was in ME2?…Expand

What a horrible game. Bioware dropped the ball on this one, don't waste your money. It's really short - It took me 17 hours to complete, and I wasn't even rushing. Compare that to the original Dragon Age which took me well over 60 hours to complete. Then you have DLC's ready to milk your wallet on the friggin same day as the game was released.

A pile of ass. Really, why does this exist? Did the demo not tip you off? If you're going to buy it, I probably can't stop you... just be aware that you could buy many better games for the same $60. Also, I paid $60 for a PC game. Brb, shooting self.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
This game gets a 0 from me as a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, which is among my favorite all-time games. As a stand-alone title I would give it a 7, but it isn't a stand-alone title, and it tarnishes a far superior game in its mediocrity.

Dragon Age 2 gets everything that Origins did right, wrong. The characters are great, but you don't get nearly enough time with them so they feel underdeveloped and rushed. The plot is excellent for the first two acts on the first play through, but the entire narrative falls apart in the third act and on the second play through you realize that you aren't actually being given any choices in the game, merely the illusion of choices. None of your actions affect the outcome of the story, which wouldn't bother me if this wasn't a Bioware game that is sold almost entirely on the story and characters. Worse than that is the fact that your choices in Origins are barely included, and some are completely disregarded. For example, if you kill Leliana or Anders, they both still appear in Dragon Age 2 as if that never happened. The environments are great, until you get to the second act and realize that they are all reused over and over again, so that every cave and dungeon looks exactly the same. This is a common theme in the game as a whole, things are just reused over and over and I guess the developers hoped you wouldn't notice. Items have the same generic names (ring, belt, boots), and vendor items all have the same trash can icon. The music, which at first is excellent, really starts to wear you down when you hear the same repeated 60 second track over and over. Dragon Age 2 was rushed out to capitalize on the success of Dragon Age: Origins. The game does not contain a story that needed to be told for its own sake, it's just a way to milk customers out of money while the franchise still has a lot of momentum. The narrative doesn't have an 'ending' as much as a full stop with no wrap-up, followed by a (metaphorical) "To be continued..."

If you loved Origins, Dragon Age 2 is going to be a jagged pill to swallow. I'd suggest waiting for an ultimate edition so you at least get the DLC for the same price, because as the game stands right now it isn't even close to worth your 50+ dollars.…Expand

I would have given this game 7 or 8/10 if it wasn't called DA2. This is not the sequel the first game deserved and is a traversty to the RPG genre set forth from its predcessor. Having said that, if you ignore the title and assume this game isn't within the DA lineage then it is actually quite entertaining, even though it is a hack & slash 'RPG'.

So terribly dissapointed. Don't we have enough watered down mainstream games out there? That might even have been okay if this game was a good mainstream game. But its not. It tries to be a hybrid between an action game like God of war and a classical rpg, and it ends up failing at both. The story is also the worst I have seen from Bioware. The story never picks up a main goal and all youSo terribly dissapointed. Don't we have enough watered down mainstream games out there? That might even have been okay if this game was a good mainstream game. But its not. It tries to be a hybrid between an action game like God of war and a classical rpg, and it ends up failing at both. The story is also the worst I have seen from Bioware. The story never picks up a main goal and all you do ALL game is run around in one city and do quests that all feel like side missions. Suddenly the game ends with a bam and a cliffhanger... Not only that but they reuse every dungeon like 15 times, and there are only like 6-7 small dungeons. Any real rpg elements are taken out, you never even get the opportunity to talk your way out of a fight everyone just charge you. If I want an action rpg I will rather play diablo or titan quest.... this is a bad action rpg and it shames the dragon age franchise. I might be a little harsh, its an okay game, but nothing more... don't expect anything.…Expand

A far cry from its glistening counterpart. The graphics feel dumbed down and is impossible to not notice all their flaws. The dialogue sounds as if it was written by a fanfic writer, and takes a lot of atmosphere and emotion out of the game. The clunky controls make the game nearly impossible to play. Overall, the game feels very rushed and is more of an open alpha then a genuine release.

Bioware itself sets the bar for quality RPG, where the act out role was paramount. Now act out the role can not, in principle, the class character only changes the way of killing meat, not the sollution quests . ring of conversation way interactive system (hello Mass Effect) also does not help back the role. Since by the choice of possible answers, we only permit the tone of theBioware itself sets the bar for quality RPG, where the act out role was paramount. Now act out the role can not, in principle, the class character only changes the way of killing meat, not the sollution quests . ring of conversation way interactive system (hello Mass Effect) also does not help back the role. Since by the choice of possible answers, we only permit the tone of the conversation. (Good-neutral-evil). Sad to see how Bioware rejects all "unnecessary" gameplay elements to please a wide audience. Perhaps if the game was called Adventure not RPG, she would have received a much higher score. If only player would not be bored running around the monotonous dead locations.…Expand

TDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". TheTDLR: A fun action game, but a sad disappointing follow-up to the rpg masterpiece "DA:O". It should had been named as a dragon age spin-off ( e.g DA: dynasty warrior/legend or something )||||

DA2 is a fun action oriented "rpg-ish" game which sadly failed as a sequel. Its only redeeming quality is perhaps the revamped combat system which is much more action and "button smashing". The lacklustre plot, the small set of repetitively recycled dungeons/environment/enemies and numerous glitches indicate a rushed unpolished product. The game has a long long list of flaws, but its cardinal sin was the failure develop any semblance of a role playing game. Most quest were simply reduced to a generic formula of "click me ---> teleport there ---> click/kill". The fame choice system of bioware games became a mere selection of your speech tone as opposed to any significant degree of plot branching. The game has simply been reduced to an excuse for button smashing. EA/Bioware should had just brand and market this game off as a dragon game spin off.…Expand

I'm really not going to waste an awful lot of my time on this. Wasted enough time and money by buying the game in the first place Terrible interface and camera view.Dumbed down combat.Dumbed down skills system.

I thought DA:O was as about as low as you can go for "Inclusiveness" - DA2 has shown me how wrong I was!!!! But what do you expect from Electronic Arse and Blow-Ware?

As a so-called sequel to DAO, DA2 is a huge disappointment. I've played through twice. Basically, it suffers from the rush to release syndrome: lack of time means lack of creativity and imagination. The game is just boring; it is stale, ordinary and cheaply made. Because the game called itself Dragon Age 2, I expected something better, even extraordinary. Not necessarily an exactAs a so-called sequel to DAO, DA2 is a huge disappointment. I've played through twice. Basically, it suffers from the rush to release syndrome: lack of time means lack of creativity and imagination. The game is just boring; it is stale, ordinary and cheaply made. Because the game called itself Dragon Age 2, I expected something better, even extraordinary. Not necessarily an exact clone of DAO, but at least a continuity in the feel of DAO, its tenor and spirit, in writing that believed in itself, in actors in whom you could tell relished their roles, in plots and subplots that got better as the game went on.

I can tell when a game is really great: I get addicted. I can't stop playing it. I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to go to work. Even more frightening, I don't want to eat. On the first playthrough of DA2, I thought something was wrong with me because I got bored. And annoyed. I could walk away from it and not feel withdrawal symptoms. And the more I played the more frustrated I became that there was just nothing that was very interesting about it. Even the ending was a non-event.

I scored DA2 below average, a harsher than usual judgement simply because it was a Bioware product. Next time I will know better: no more pre-ordering, never trust a demo or a trailer, and wait until the user reviews come out.…Expand

This game is the biggest turd i have had the displeasure of playing lets start with the graphics they are like a game from about ten years ago when you hit someone with a sword they explode.They have used the same locations over and over again i think there is about four in the whole game.God the side quest are so boring go to that place and fetch that object go to this place and kill thatThis game is the biggest turd i have had the displeasure of playing lets start with the graphics they are like a game from about ten years ago when you hit someone with a sword they explode.They have used the same locations over and over again i think there is about four in the whole game.God the side quest are so boring go to that place and fetch that object go to this place and kill that person after about two hours of this repetitiveness you fill like slashing your own wrists.And this company has turned into greedy bastards they just bought out some DLC that they charge for some sort of clothes pack need i say more after about three hours i uninstalled it from my pc and good riddance to it…Expand

Dragon Age 2 is epic like if pooping in your pants in public was epic. Waste of money terrible game play. Characters were lacking. Skill tree and talents were horrible. Items stunk, customization across the board stunk. I would rather chew off my own arm than play this game. If you like Dragon Age 2 you are either paid to, or your a moron.

Mindless, dull, boring and generic are the first words that come to mind when playing this game.There is literally nothing good you can say about this game, absolutely nothing; the story is boring, the characters have very poor personalities and don't add much depth to the game, love interests are there to appeal to "mature gamers that play mature games" and don't add anything to theMindless, dull, boring and generic are the first words that come to mind when playing this game.There is literally nothing good you can say about this game, absolutely nothing; the story is boring, the characters have very poor personalities and don't add much depth to the game, love interests are there to appeal to "mature gamers that play mature games" and don't add anything to the story either, the characters themselves look somewhat decent with the texture pack, but the areas and surroundings feel very dead and generic. And oh wow, the UI, it feels like I'm playing **** alpha, it is just that bad, most custom WoW UI's (hell even the regular one) look much better than this piece of **** Luckily I didn't pay for this piece of **** as it truly is depressing for a company like Bioware to **** out a turd like this. I'm still trying to come up with something good I can say about this game, but nope, I just can't do it.…Expand

I have enjoyed almost all the games Bioware has produced in the past. Hardly anyone can deny that games like Baldurs Gate II, Dragon Age Origins and Kotor provide tons of entertainment. They received high ratings from professional reviewers and the community was pleased.

What happened? How is it possible for a gaming company to take such a nosedive in one year?
It would have beenI have enjoyed almost all the games Bioware has produced in the past. Hardly anyone can deny that games like Baldurs Gate II, Dragon Age Origins and Kotor provide tons of entertainment. They received high ratings from professional reviewers and the community was pleased.

What happened? How is it possible for a gaming company to take such a nosedive in one year?

It would have been UNFATHOMABLE to even consider that the average community score for a Dragon Age sequel would be less than 60/100 but here we are.

How is it that in almost every single installment before Dragon Age 2 we had the ability to impact the world around us and the ending of the game would change depending on our choices? But now it doesn't matter who you support, not one bit. One tragedy after another isn't the core problem here but that you can't do anything about it.

What's the replay value people? Really, what is it? What can I do differently? Have sex with Merrill instead of Isabela and change my tone of voice while speaking during pre-determined events?

And how is it that romances have devolved into *press heart symbol to have h0t s3x*

What happened to gameplay? What happened to stealing, creating potions, collecting resources and having a connection with the world around us?

Where is the possibility to lie, intimidate and charm during conversations? Isn't that what roleplaying has been all about in your previous releases? You dont even need to read your own lines in DA2 (nor can you). Just choose one option from *calm*, *joke* or *angry*. Talking yourself out from a bad spot isn't really an option if the game has already decided what is going to happen.

What happened to being able to choose your own race. What's the point of having racism towards elves if you cant even play one anymore?

Customizing the armor of your companions might not seem like a big deal to many people since we are forced to use the best armor sets anyway and sell all the junk. But it does look completely stupid to have some pirate woman in a prostitute uniform fighting against a high-dragon. This is something I expect to see from square and Final Fantasy, not Bioware.

And the worst thing is that after investing over 40 hours of gameplay, there is no real ending or closure. So what's the idea behind this? Rip us off with DLC's?

And people really need to stop being naive. I hardly doubt this is going to be a prequel to some epic tale. Why should I believe that a savegame import would matter now when it has never had a major impact in the past? It's just going to be another set of cameos, letters from the people you saved and a couple of mentions about what happened in the past.

This game does its job as a linear adventure hack'n'slasher but that's it.

Just one year ago Bioware put square on blast by stating that "Final Fantasy XIII is not an RPG yadayada". And here we are now....I hope CD Projekt stays silent and walks the walk with Witcher 2, because you guys need a reality check.

On a scale from 1 to pretzel, I'm mad salty lol. I guess it's time to go back to hyping the upcoming Mass Effect 2 DLC, because atleast you still have dev-teams that know what the hell they are doing.…Expand

How can you possible go from something so awesome to this pile of digital crap, Bioware? Seriously! The story, characters, setting, and...well everything have been dummed down so horribly it's an insult to the original. This looks more like Bioware made it for 9 year olds.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Horrible disappointment.They took everything that was good in Dragon Age Origins&Awakening and threw it out of the window.Graphics? Poor level design,recycled generic dungeons,90% of the quests are located in ONE CITY! Just terrible.Sound? Also much better in Origins,voice acting in DA2 is poor and unconvincing,music was also waaaaay better in Origins.Dialogues? The dialogue system is a very very poor copy of the Mass Effect dialogue system,with pseudoparagon and pseudorenegade answers and supposedly funny answers that usually spectacularly fail to be funny.Dialogue system in Origins provided much more to choose from and it was much better written.Party members? Extremely annoying and shallow (Varric Tethras is the only half bearable character) and you cannot change their armor AT ALL.Romance? Almost non existant options for any interesting romance,especially for male Hawke,you get to choose from retarded elf woman (Merrill) and a slut (Isabella),that is it if you dont count gay romance with Anders.Combat? One of the most annoying parts of the game,dumbed down to the console click click level catered for the very casual RPG gamers,any true RPG gamer will be extremely disappointed with the new combat system.DAO had pretty good combat system,DA2 combat system is total crap.User interface? DAO had beautifully designed user interface with detailed descriptions of items,now you get a bland black user interface that has no place in any game,let alone a fantasy game.Weapon,armor and item descriptions are also totally dumbed down.Now you actually collect "junk",way to go.Storyline,quests and ending? Unlike DAO,DA2 forces some plot developments on you,regardless of what you do or choices you make,lame.In DAO you could influence even major plot developments,often in significant ways.Now you are forced to accept certain decisions and your influence on them is cosmetics.This game is either rushed so it is half done or Bioware decided to dumb down their best RPG since Baldur's Gate to cater for wider audience,and therefore make more money for Bioware.Hopefully they will listen to the widespread criticism of DA2 and make the likely third installment of Dragon Age once again a real hardcore RPG.DA2 is a great example of what NOT to do with a sequel to a game,take everything that was good,throw it away,add horrible redesign and "new features" that are actually crap and you get this.They even managed to screw up the redesign of DAO character faces like Sandal,Zevran or Alistair.Not to mention that darkspawn now look like a joke.In some moments during gameplay I started laughing on how terrible some things were compared to DAO.I just could not believe that Bioware can screw up the sequel this much.Note-I originally posted this review in the Xbox360 section of DA2,instead of the PC by mistake,by mistake,if anyone knows how can I remove that review let me know.…Expand

Complete and utter disappointment. Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite titles of all time and one of the only games I enjoyed so much that I'm passionate enough to still be angry with it's rushed, lackluster sequel years later. Everything about Dragon Age 2 is simply awful, quite honestly. All the love, time and effort put into DA:O is simply stripped away from DA2. Devoid of lifeComplete and utter disappointment. Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite titles of all time and one of the only games I enjoyed so much that I'm passionate enough to still be angry with it's rushed, lackluster sequel years later. Everything about Dragon Age 2 is simply awful, quite honestly. All the love, time and effort put into DA:O is simply stripped away from DA2. Devoid of life and character, Dragon Age 2 was simply made and only made to cash in on the success of DA:O.

So, what specifically is wrong with DA2? Everything. The combat is now reduced to anime-like fast game play where tactics aren't really needed (I played on Nightmare, PC), re-spawning waves of enemies that drop out of the sky in combat, re spawning enemies every time you zone in and out of towns, it's just ridiculous, tedious and extremely annoying.

The story is unfocused and has no idea what it's doing. Hawke is not likable in any way shape or form, you perform meaningless tasks all game until near the end, which is completely rushed and unrealized. The ending is pathetic, quite honestly. There are a few interesting characters you can go on with, but there way more bland and uninteresting characters then there are interesting, the only decent ones in my opinion happen to be written by David Gaider, who did not have much to do with DA2, but wrote the majority of DA:O. Anders was completely butchered and DA2 just doesn't have interesting companions compared to pretty much everyone in DA:O.

The inventory system and skill system have been dumbed down, and BioWare likes to boast that they made every skill useful and that simply is untrue, it's not better than DA:O in any way shape or form. Restoration magic is almost gone besides "heal and group heal", and combat is now flashy and "awesome" and no longer tactical.

Oh, let's not forget about the DLC. There is more DLC weapons and armor in this game then actual armor in the core game. There is only about 5 models for every armor type and weapon in the entire game, pathetic.

All in all, it's so disapointing that this game was released. It's worse than Deus Ex: Invisible War.…Expand

A consolized mess of sloppy and lazy game design. DA:O is one of my favorite RPG's ever, and ive been playing them since the atari computer. DA2 shares nothing in common with its predecessor except for the core IP.

some of the story elements were well done, but I can't give this game a higher score, because I felt betrayed as a loyal Bioware fan by what they did with thie "sequel"

n DA2 will blow your mind. The dialogue is very poorly written. It reads like a bad harlequin romance novel, something of the grade that you'd find in a trashy teen vampire cash in. The voice work feels dead pan and boring for any non party member NPC and that coupled with the unrealistic fangirl-like writing makes for some truly cringe worthy scenes. One character tries so hard to ben DA2 will blow your mind. The dialogue is very poorly written. It reads like a bad harlequin romance novel, something of the grade that you'd find in a trashy teen vampire cash in. The voice work feels dead pan and boring for any non party member NPC and that coupled with the unrealistic fangirl-like writing makes for some truly cringe worthy scenes. One character tries so hard to be cute, so hard to appeal to the "moe" loving crowd that her lines make her seem borderline retarded. It works with little girls because they are young and the stupidity can be excused. But when a grown woman speaks like a nervous 14 year old and calls swordsmen "sworderers" that "do something with a sword" then you start questioning this person's IQ. The game has the textures of an N64 game and that isn't even an exageration. There are pictures floating around the internet showing the low res (even with the supposed high res pack) of the ground, the buildings and the people most of all. All the NPCs asside from those in Hawke's party and in cutscenes look as detailed as the Happy Mask Salesman from Majora's Mask. This is a bad game. Don't buy the hype…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
I even make an acc for this, but need to tell that.This is game got really got critics reviews from biggest websites and game critics, they are blind or something like that?Everyone who play this game more than 10h must see a 2 dungeon in whole game with changed entrance/doors/mobs and to be honest, the story is not that epic how a developers think.But game have good side too, good actors game and voices.Some nice fights with WoW-like boss.That's all Sorry for my eng.Don't buy this game, its waste of your money.…Expand

Disaster of a game. Hack and slash gameplay with a story that would make straight to DVD movies look like Oscar winners. Horrible clipping, textures, and unnecessary "jelly" blood. Most important is how those involved with the game refuse to acknowledge any criticism. Avoid at all costs.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
So, it takes 14 hours to get past the first 4 years of game play and during that time you're just hoping the game gets better from then on. Nope, the game stays at the same level of tediousness and is painful to complete. The ending doesn't even feel like an ending. When the credits started rolling I just wanted to throw something. Final verdict: painful waste of $60.…Expand

Giving this a 4 (should be a 6) to counteract all the lies and "user" reviews written by people associated with the company and the outright lies fed to us by the game review industry (they're obviously getting something for giving the game such inflated scores). Hard to suspend disbelief in regards to the story line, tedious gameplay, lazy environment creation, linear gameplay, nearlyGiving this a 4 (should be a 6) to counteract all the lies and "user" reviews written by people associated with the company and the outright lies fed to us by the game review industry (they're obviously getting something for giving the game such inflated scores). Hard to suspend disbelief in regards to the story line, tedious gameplay, lazy environment creation, linear gameplay, nearly every quest havingg nothing to do with the story and the inability to make the player care about the characters is enough to stay away. If we support this type of mediocre game creation that is all we are going to get.…Expand

As a big bioware fan, I was hoping for another great rpg experience. Instead I've got some boring parody of a game. This game has really nothing to offer, first fallout or baldur's gate was more complex and interesting than this **** People who are talking about better fighting they're lying, it's just faster, you have the same exact moves as you had in origins. This is the first theAs a big bioware fan, I was hoping for another great rpg experience. Instead I've got some boring parody of a game. This game has really nothing to offer, first fallout or baldur's gate was more complex and interesting than this **** People who are talking about better fighting they're lying, it's just faster, you have the same exact moves as you had in origins. This is the first the bioware's game that bored me with leveling up, when I saw the mark that tells you about gaining a level I thought 'not this **** again', they're are tons of useles skills that you forget about imidiately. NPC's are just laughable: generic drunk dwarf, scared fragile elf, a generic pirate, anders that we have already have met in awakening ( best part of the dragon age for me). Music- generic, forgettable. Graphics are mediocre, sometimes ugly and even bioware admitted that by releasing a new texture pack. Storyline is just uninteresting and forgettable, you get absolutely no pleasure in following the storyline. Secondary quests are extremely boring , you are going through the same locations doing exactly the same things. Main Character is also very generic and simple with nothing instererting to offer, casual hero like hundreds before him. DLC's- dropping dlc's in the same exact date as the game is just despicable and shows you the real motives of bioware and ea. This game can only be interseting for people who are under 12 years old or have no actual clue what a good rpg should look like.…Expand

This game has many problems. It deserves a zero b/c as a sequal to to DA:O, it has to be compared to DA:O. If it was just some new game in a new IP, I'd give it a 5 or 6. Bioware has really trashed this IP though.

1. It's not "innovative" to have the whole "RPG" take place in one generic and forgettable location. It's just lazy and cheap.
2. It's a shame that the combat was changedThis game has many problems. It deserves a zero b/c as a sequal to to DA:O, it has to be compared to DA:O. If it was just some new game in a new IP, I'd give it a 5 or 6. Bioware has really trashed this IP though.

1. It's not "innovative" to have the whole "RPG" take place in one generic and forgettable location. It's just lazy and cheap.
2. It's a shame that the combat was changed from a complex tactical/strategy game into a more of a light show where you mash the same button over and over. Once again, if this wasn't a sequal to DA:O, I wouldn't mind so much. But you can't follow up a game like DA:O with a game like this. It's sort of like, what if Dead Space 2 had been made into a halo clone w/o any blood, in order to appeal to a "broader audience."
3. The game was clearly rushed. You shouldn't waste 60 bucks when half the content is still in development. In a year, you can buy the game, along with the other half of the content, for less money. It's not like the game is new or innovative in any way shape of form. So why buy it now? Just wait until the DLC is packaged so it wont' be such a ripoff. Or better yet, just dont' buy the piece of garbage.…Expand

I personally play rpg mostly for the story and not so much for the combat, so i cant say much about the combat part. It does feel a bit repetitive, but overall it is not my biggest complaint.Problem is they have tried to make Dragon Age 2 into a cross between Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins. Problem is its not close to being as good as either of these games. Its stuck in the murkyI personally play rpg mostly for the story and not so much for the combat, so i cant say much about the combat part. It does feel a bit repetitive, but overall it is not my biggest complaint.Problem is they have tried to make Dragon Age 2 into a cross between Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age Origins. Problem is its not close to being as good as either of these games. Its stuck in the murky middle somewhere. There is little to no immersion, and you are stuck in one city with a few variations the whole game through. Apart from more side quests, which i think is good, the whole game feels like your just doing errands around the city, and not much variation in environment. I felt i had no control over (Shepard)Hawk at all. His companions are not boring per se, but the little you actually talk to them makes them feel disjointed from you and each other. The ME dialog wheel can make you frustrated, because it seems you can never convey the right emotions at the right time. Also the romance side of this game seems meaningless as you cant really talk much to them, and you get little heart icons on the wheel to indicate when its flirting time...DA:O was not perfect but it was far from this silly.The disappointment for many is probably due to this being called a sequel. It just a completely sub-par and different game ( in a bad way). Its DA:O and ME light. They could have done better with this story. The writing seems good, but they did not have time it seems to implement it the right way. They had to get it out the door quickly , and it shows.…Expand

Dear Bioware...talking about origins.... you have forgotten your origins. I wont say anything more about technical or in-game qualities. All is said. Bioware has betrayed his own style, creating a stupid commercial game. This is not rpg, this is a &"$Â·%"Â·. Bioware is loosing his rank of "King of RPGs" creating this kind of games. Please, innovate the rpg genreDear Bioware...talking about origins.... you have forgotten your origins. I wont say anything more about technical or in-game qualities. All is said. Bioware has betrayed his own style, creating a stupid commercial game. This is not rpg, this is a &"$Â·%"Â·. Bioware is loosing his rank of "King of RPGs" creating this kind of games. Please, innovate the rpg genre as, for example, Bethesda is doing. I miss baldurs gate, I miss neverwinter nights and his PW.…Expand

Rubbish- recycled areas, no variation limited game-play real estate. No character development, No decent game length for an RPG. Boring over redundant game-play mechanics. The game felt aborted, unfinished, terrible "modern" graphics hardly warmed my gpu up and to have to repeatedly see the same scenery recycled poorly quest after quest, dungeon after dungeon was very detrimental to theRubbish- recycled areas, no variation limited game-play real estate. No character development, No decent game length for an RPG. Boring over redundant game-play mechanics. The game felt aborted, unfinished, terrible "modern" graphics hardly warmed my gpu up and to have to repeatedly see the same scenery recycled poorly quest after quest, dungeon after dungeon was very detrimental to the experience!HUGE disappointment. In trying to please a wider market manages to please practically no one. Some people like apples some people like pears....NO ONE likes a pearppleBioware - for shame !…Collapse

Despite some advancement in storytelling approach and liberal borrowing from Bioware's Mass Effect approach to gameplay, Dragon Age 2 on the PC has a lot of bugs and is populated with re-used settings that make this feel like a play performed on a stage with two sets.

For a rushed product that is still battling bugs, the currently offered product still provides 40 hours of challenging and engaging gameplay. This combines to provide a good, but not great gaming experience.